Claiming censorship, attorneys allege Arizona State University is illegally blocking a Muslim academician from speaking on campus because of his political beliefs.
The lawsuit filed in federal court here says the university won’t allow Hatem Bazian to speak on campus about the “boycott, divest, sanction” movement aimed at pressuring Israel to change its policies, particularly in regard to Jewish settlements on the West Bank. That’s because Bazian won’t sign an agreement certifying that he will not engage in a boycott of Israel.
That agreement language comes directly from a 2016 state law that bars state and local governments — and publicly funded universities — from doing business with any firm that won’t do business with Israel.